Koneru Humpy delivered a clutch performance at the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in Pune, finishing joint-top alongside Chinese prodigy Zhu Jiner with seven points apiece. The win propels Humpy to second place in the overall Grand Prix standings and keeps her in strong contention for a spot in the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament — the event that will decide the challenger to Ju Wenjun’s world title in 2027.
In a thrilling final round, Humpy triumphed over Bulgaria’s Nurgyul Salimova, while Zhu secured victory against Polina Shuvalova in a gripping 76-move encounter. Both players showcased clinical precision under pressure, making the most of the fast-finished games on the other boards. Indian youngster Divya Deshmukh took third place following a final-round draw against Alina Kashlinskaya.
Despite the triumph, Humpy remains aware of the fine margins in elite chess. “I haven’t been doing very well lately in classical chess,” she admitted while speaking on the FIDE youtube channel after the event. “But here I have recovered my rating points and with the exception of yesterday’s game, I think I have played quite well.”
The Grand Prix series features six events, with each of the 20 players taking part in three of them. Humpy has now completed her quota, finishing joint-fifth in Kazakhstan, sharing first in Monaco, and once again topping the leaderboard in Pune. Her total of 279.17 points places her behind only Aleksandra Goryachkina (308.34), who has also completed her three events.
With one event left to play — in Austria next month — only Anna Muzychuk, Zhu and Tan Zhongyi can mathematically surpass Humpy. Zhu, with 235 points from two events, needs to finish sixth or higher in Austria to overtake her. Muzychuk and Zhongyi face more difficult paths, requiring top finishes to challenge Humpy’s position.
Humpy still has several chances to reach the Candidates, even if she misses out through the Grand Prix — among them are the FIDE Women’s World Cup in July, the Grand Swiss in September, and the FIDE Women’s Events standings, where she currently ranks second behind Ju Wenjun. Having won the 2024 World Rapid Championship, Humpy has positioned herself well across formats.
With her Pune performance, the Indian chess legend has shown she’s far from done — and her dream of another shot at the world title remains very much alive.
For the Latest Sports News: Follow RevSportz